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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l T. C. GREENE.

GATE.

No. 593,324. Patented Nov. 9,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FEICE.'

THOMAS C. GREENE, OF TREMONT, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,324, dated November 9, 1897. Application filed July 2, 1896. Serial No. 597,849.- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, THOMAS C. GREENE, of Tremont, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in gates, and more particularly to the means for opening and shutting gates, the object being to provide mechanism for operating the gate by hand or tread power to swing it in either direction; and it consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of the parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of my improved gate, showing two different:means for operating it; and Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are detail views.

A A represent two posts of a fence, and B is the gate, having hinged connection with one of these posts and adapted to be latched to the other. Instead of hinging the gate directly to post A a vertical rod or shaft l is connected therewith by means of suitable bearings 2 2 and the gate is hinged to this rod or shaft. In this rod or shaft two bends or cranks 3 and 4 are formed, one extending outward in one direction and the other in the opposite direction, and it is to these bends or cranks that the gate is hinged, the object being to change the inclination of the gate to cause it to swing when released in the opposite direction from which it was last swung. To accomplish this, the rod or shaft 1 must rst be swung axially, and this turning of the rod or shaft can be accomplished in different ways, two or three of which are illustrated in the drawings and which will be described.

On the upper end of the rod or shaft 1 a double drum 5 is secured, and to it two chains or similar flexible devices 6 6 are adjustably secured and passed around in opposite directions, one end being secured to one end of arm '7 and the other to the opposite end of this arm, the adjustment being for the purpose of taking up slack in the chains or connections in case they become stretched.

A frame 8, about double the length of the gate, is pivoted at its center to the lower end of the post A and it extends at right angles to the gate when in its normally closed position, and the arm 7 extends across the center of this frame and is guided in the pivotal movement of the frame between the post and the drums. This frame acts as a stop for the gate when swung open in either direction, and it carries a keeper 9 at each end in position to receive the latch of the gate when the latter.

is swung open, the frame operating to bring the keeper into the proper elevation to receive the latch when the latter reaches it.

In Fig. 1 two dierent means are shown for operating the gate by hand besides the tread mechanism operated by the wheels of a vehicle, and it may be explained in this connection that each of these is duplicated in whichever form it is used. l/Vhen the hand-levers and treads are both used, the frame 8 is employed and the hand-levers and treads are connected with its outer ends, as shown at one side of the drawings. The handlevers 10 are removably secured in sockets 11, preferably inclining upwardly from the outer end of the frame, and these levers may be furnished with depending pulls 12 12, by which they are conveniently manipulated to eect a vertical movement of the frame.

In addition to the provision for operating the gate by hand a wagon-tread is adapted to be connected with the gate. For this purpose an arm 13 is detachably connected to the frame 8. A tread 15 is pivotally supported above the surface of the ground, where it is normally held in an elevated position by means of a springv 16. On one end this tread is preferably furnished with an antifrictionroller in position to strike and bear down upon the arm 13 when the tread is depressed by a wheel running over it. This tread is capable of rocking over in either direction-that is to say, toward or away from the gate. As the entire frame 8 swings vertically and one end is 'Y always elevated when thefother is depressed it is necessary to equip the arm 13 with an eX- tension adapted to receive the pressure of the tread when the end of the frame 8 adjacent to it is elevated. Therefore the shoe llta is provided. This shoe is L-shaped and preferably hinged at the extreme outer end of arm 13.

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, thev gate.

Vhen the parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 1 and a wagon-wheel passes over the tread in a direction toward the gate, the roller on the tread swings forward and bears down upon that portion of the shoe which is over arm 13 and depresses it. This causes the end of the frame to move. downward and the gate swings open from the vehicle. This depression of the end of the frame causes the opposite end to rise, as previously stated, andit is then, as the vehicle passes on over the next tread, that the L-shaped shoe at that end,I which has dropped by gravity to the position indicatedv E by dotted lines in Fig. 9, is struck by the relier on the tread and that end of the frame is depressed, causing the gate to swing back and close.A The operation by hand is precisely the same. To swing the gate open from they op.- erator, he. simply pulls down on the pull nearest, him, and should he desire to swing it, in the opposite direction or toward him he could Vdo so by lifting the hand-lever. To

close the gate, the operationis just the reverse,

and after passing through in order to close it he simply pulls down on the pull-that is, if the gate has opened from him,y or up upon it if ithas. been opened toward him. When it` i's not.. desired to use the vehicle treads, the armsl. 13v may be easily removed, as they are made detachable` for this. purpose.

Some means has to be provided for locking the rod or shaft l when it is. turned toswing For this purpose it is provided with a. toothed segment 20, and a. spring 2l isconnected with post A in position to. enter notches in this segment to lock the rod or shaft against turning while the gate swings, the position of thebends or-cranks 2 2; on the rodor shaft causing this swingingrmovement,

as previously explained', and aftertheswinging movement is. complete one of the cams or wings 22. 22. on the hinge 23.forces the spring out of the notch, so. that the rod or shaft is ready to be turned the. moment it is desired to again swing the gate open or shut.

It Will bel observed that the outside notches of the segment are open.. This admits of the rod orshaft l turning a short distance afterv the spring has entered the notch in order to insure swinging the gate open to the fullest extent until' it is fastened widey open.

The hinges used may be of any desired construction, although I prefer that thelower one 23. should be adjustable in order to compensatefor any sagging which. might take place in the gate.

On the post A akeeper25issecured.. This may be ot" any preferred form, the` main idea being to form the lower edge of the. stop .26V with aknie-edge and the latch 2.7 on the gate,l also with a sharp: upper edge, so that theseparts will never lock against each other, but,

. onthe other hand, will form an escapement,

causing the latch to pass upward when raised by the stop.. The latch riding upJ upon the keeper is liable to` pass on through, but this stoppreven-ts thisA by aording an abutmentl remains until removed.

for the latch to strike, after which the latter immediately drops into the keeper, where it In the particular form of keeper shown a plate of metal is clamped or otherwise secured on the inner edge or face of the post. vided with round projections a a, each of which has a bolt-hole therein. The keeperplate b has corresponding holes c c elongated vertically to receive the bolts, Which pass i through holes c c, by which the parts are secured together and to the post, the elongated slots admitting of the keeper being adjusted vertically a limited amount. The stop also is formed on a suitable adjustable plate d.

The latch 27, While it. may be of any approved form, is rendered very convenient by being made intwoparts, 30v 30, which straddle the outer vertical bar of the gate and rest l upon a verticallyadjpstablc collar; 3l.. The

inner ends of these-members of the latch have 'a hook shape or. open slot, and this hooks over a pin in the hanger 32a spring 33 holid- This plate is proing it yieldingly down.4 In this Way the latch can be readily removed and replaced in case it. becomes damaged or worn out.

Y In addi-tion to the construction disclosed',A 1 the frame 8 may be dispensed with altogether when itis :not desired to use the treads,f in

. which event I prefer tohave additional posts D D., Levers 34 34 are pivoted to these posts,

and from. them the rods 35i 3.5 extend inward to the slotted central plate Z, with which their inner. ends; are abjustably connected by setscrews 37 3.7' or equivalent means. I Way the levers may be made to incline more. or less and the hand-pulls be elevated orlowered to a convenient height for operation.

In this.

Thegate-itself is preferably made of piping,

i and these pipes are secured'together by means of couplings, as shown in the drawings, and

vertical-ly and horizontally and. twisted to gether, as shown.

In the operation of opening thegate it will :be observed that the rod or shaft l is first Y turn-ed axially, Whether the gate is opened by hand or tread power. The effect of this axial f movement is to simultaneously lift the outer n end of thc gate so that the latch leaves the keeper and to incline thegate in the direcupon rod or shaft l. After being thus re-` leased and tilted the gateswi-n-gs outward ln- 1 til thelatch strikesa keeper, where it. is held.

As soon as the. latch isl released from the the other-that is, from its open position in one; direction to its open position in. the cpr` Aposite direction., This is accomplished by: ipulling down or lifting the. operating-lever i sufficiently to raise the outer end ot the gata in addition to these wires are stretched acrossv l tion in which it is to bev swung, all of which isdiue to the movement of the two cranks 2.2

high enough so that the latch passes in a plane above the keeper on post A andis not caught by it. Thus it will be seen that there are no dead-points in the gate, but it is absolutely under the control of the operator. He may not only swing it the full distance, but also he may swing it just a slight distance and then back by properly manipulating the handlever, or in the event that it fails to latch for any reason it may be latched by pushing the lever a little higher or depressing it a trifle farther, as the case may be.

It may also be mentioned that the construction of this gate is such that it may be opened and closed for a person to walk through by merely raising the latch and swinging the gate in the usual way. This is mentioned because many of these gates cannot be operated in this way.

Finally, it may be stated that while I have shown one form of gate it is obvious that other forms may also be used just as well, the particular one illustrated being merely 'one of a large variety and preferred merely because it is simple, cheap, and easy to make.

Itis evident that other slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing froln the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth 5 but,

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-` l. The combination with a post, anda gate, of a rod or shaft connected with the post and to which the gate :is hinged, said rod or shaft having a segment thereon, a spring for locking the segment, and wings or cams connected with the gate for throwing the spring out of engagement with the segment, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a post, and gate hinged thereto, of a rod or shaft connected with the post and to which the gate is hinged,

' a segment secured on the rod or shaft, said segment having notches therein, the outer notches being open notches, a spring adapted to enter these notches for locking the segment in position, and means for automatically removin gthe spring from the segment, substantially as set forth.

o. A gate-latch composed of two members adapted to straddle the outer end of the gate, said latch having an open slot or hook formed at its inner end whereby it is detachably connected with the gate, substantially as set forth. Y

4. The combination with a gate, of a latch straddling a portion of the gate and detachably hooked to its pivot, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a gate, of a latch detachably pivoted at one end on the gate and adapted to rest freely at the other end on a portion' of the gate, and a spring extending from the latch to the gate and adapted to hold the latch yieldingly downward upon the pivot and in its latch.

6. The combination with a post, and a gate hinged thereto, of a frame pivoted to the post and extending approximately at right angles to the gate when in its normal position, said frame having keepers on its outer ends in position to receive the latch of the gate, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with apost, and a gate hinged thereto, of a gate-operating frame pivoted to the post and carrying keepers at its outer ends, `substantially as set forth.

' 8. The combination with a post, and a gate hinged thereto, of a frame pivoted to the post, arms extending outward from the ends of the frame, and a tread constructed and adapted to operate in connection with the arm to operate the gate, substantially as set forth.

9. Thev combination with a post, and a gate, of a frame pivoted to the gate, an arm detaeh ably connected with each outer end of the frame, and a trip operating in connection with each of said arms, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with a post, and a gate hinged thereto, of a frame pivoted to the post, an arm connected with the outer ends of the frame, L-shaped shoes hinged to said arms,

Vand hinged trips adapted to operate in connection with the arms or shoes to swing the gate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. GREENE. Witnesses:

GEO. F. DOWNING, VERNON E. HonGEs.

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